Craving what is good for you

Peter begins the second chapter with a list of things to get rid of: malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander of every kind. Then he changes the image completely. Like newborn babies, he says, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.

Anyone who has fed a newborn knows what craving looks like. It is not polite. It is not scheduled around convenience. A hungry infant wants milk now, with the whole body, and will not be distracted by anything else until it comes. Peter looks at that and says, be like that about the word of God.

It is a humbling picture for adult believers. Most of us would prefer to be described as mature, discerning, steady. Peter does get there. He wants us to grow up. But growing up happens by feeding, and feeding happens by craving. A Christian who has lost appetite for Scripture is not being sophisticated. They are simply not eating.

Verse 3 gives the reason the craving is possible. Now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. The words echo Psalm 34. Appetite follows taste. Once you have actually found God to be good, not in theory but in an experience of his kindness, you want more. That is not a discipline anyone has to manufacture. It is what taste does.

Notice also what has to go before the milk can nourish. Malice, envy and slander are not just moral failings. They are appetite-killers. A heart chewing on resentment has no room for anything sweeter. Peter's order is practical. Put the bitter things down, then reach for what actually feeds.

Late August is a good time to check appetite. The summer has its own rhythms, and rhythms of reading often slip. Rather than a resolution, try a taste. Read one psalm slowly this weekend and notice whether the Lord is good in it. If he is, the craving will take care of itself.